Hello Ottawa

STATISTICS OTTAWA

NUMBER

• 3

• Where Ottawa lies on the 2026 list of the World’s Best Cities (Canada region). Québec City is number 1, Montréal is number 4. Toronto did not make the list. 

• San Miguel de Allende, Mexico was judged Best City in the World, and no Canadian city made the top 25.

• – Travel + Leisure

KITIGAN ZIBI ANISHINABE OF THE DAY

• Albert Dumont

• The poet, storyteller, speaker, Algonquin elder, and traditional teacher is screening his film Forest Light, Forest Wisdom and running an art making workshop in conjunction with Ottawa’s 200th anniversary at St Joseph’s Presbyterian Church tomorrow from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. 

• His Forest Teachings series will run in various venues across Ottawa until August 29.

– Green Living Ottawa

QUOTE

“

• City staff will consider feedback received as part of the post-event debrief process to ensure any lessons learned are incorporated into future planning

–  A statement by Ottawa’s emergency and protective services general manager Ryan Perraul after everyone got miffed about the secret fireworks show at LeBreton Flats last night, resulting in complaints from residents and City Councillors over the unexpected and unexplained noise.

Kitchissippi ward councillor Jeff Leiper says the City told him Canadian Heritage thought setting them off was the safest way to dismantle the fireworks, which were originally intended for Canada Day, and would be a welcome event for the patrons of Bluesfest, which was also being held at LeBreton Flats.

Bluesfest was told to not tell anyone about the fireworks, which were discharged following American country music star Cody Johnson's performance. 

– CBC

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WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

THE DAILY POLL

Have you gone swimming in the Ottawa River?

🔘 Yes, at the NCC River House

🔘 Yes, at the East Dock or Museum of History

🔘 Yes, at the Britannia Beach, Petrie Island, or Westboro Beach

🔘 One of the other beaches or at a residence

🔘 Not a chance, I will not be eaten by a sturgeon

• 
  Previously in OTTAWAN polls:

• Does Ottawa need a renoviction bylaw?

  • 67% Yes, tenants have few protections against landlords who want to evict them and relet at market rate

  • 9% No, it’s just more nanny statism. We shouldn’t make it harder for landlords to maintain their property.

  • 9% Moving is expensive, once you’re evicted most will not be able to afford to move back after renovations even if it was guaranteed

  • 11% Landlords can’t survive if tenants are paying rent that was market rate years and years ago

  • 4% Anyone who is evicted should be allowed to store their stuff at 24 Sussex Drive

  • 
    Commentary

▪️ “And they wonder why there’s more people living on the streets. Renoviction should be stopped.”

▪️ “Boo f***ing-hoo* to landlords complaining here. If you're just using property as income stream, you're taking supply away from those who would rather have their own mortgage. Instead, somehow, I'm the middleman responsible for paying my landlord's mortgage?”

* THE OTTAWAN is not particularly prudish about bad words but we do wish to keep having a high delivery rate to people’s inboxes.

▪️ “I think some landlords are just being greedy by renovicting tenants, doing some reno work. It’s just a way for them to implement huge rent increases at the expense of tenants.”

▪️ “There are no good solutions here. Even installing air conditioning has caused people to be evicted so market rates could be charged. There’s no end in sight.”

▪️ “Owning property that you can rent out is an investment and sometimes investments struggle. Making a buck off of people who need housing is gross even when they’re not being scammy.”

▪️ “Being a renter for the last 6 years I am of the opinion that tenants need more rights not landlords! Landlords wouldn’t be in the rental business if they weren’t making $.”

▪️ “100% yes , renters need protection from landlords that lie about who’s moving in or about renovations.”

▪️ “How many ‘long term’ tenants are there that the landlord is supposedly losing money on? Very few and they are normally excellent low maintenance tenants.”

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THE ROLLING THREE DAY CALENDAR

Is there an event we should know about?
Please use our easy event submission form

✳️ Means change from previous edition

FRIDAY

• 🆓 Unwind with Orléans Unplugged outdoor concert series at Centrum Town Centre every Friday at 6:00 pm. 

• Limp BizKit headlines Bluesfest, with special guests like Cypress Hill, Hank Azaria and the EZ Street Band, Steve Earle, and others. Later, head to the ‘unofficial after party’ at the 27 Club’s EMO Night. 

• Arthouse becomes a folk paradise with Graven and Ottawa-based singer songwriter Elizabeth Royall performing. Friday Night Folk happens bi-monthly and is presented by CKCU FM (Centretown) 

• Rahim Salsa Friday night sessions include a lesson, a variety of DJs, and regular bachata breaks, all in an air conditioned venue. No experience or partner are necessary.  (Golden Triangle in Centretown) 

• The day’s programming at Music and Beyond Festival begins with a noon talk about the physics of resonance on bowed stringed instruments such as the violin (with Kin-Wai Leong (speaker) and Kerson Leong (violin)). The evening concerts include JS Bach and Andrew Balfour: A Dialogue Between A Baroque and an Indigenous Composer, with Ensemble Caprice and Ensemble ArtChoral (Centretown). There's also another concert in the Ottawa 200 series, Music from 1826. (Centretown)

• Three new outdoor public spaces to note: 
  
  ⛱️ ByWard Square, at which Just_Woan performs on Friday night; also check out the bar and food pop-ups 
  
  ⛱️ Snider Park (Slater and Bank streets) has greenery, music, free WiFi, and local art. (Centretown) 
  
  ⛱️ Street Seats in Chinatown will have free performances all summer   

• Ottawa Titans play three home games against the Tri-City Valleycats (from upstate New York), starting tonight. It’s also Love Island Night, so expect some drama. (Overbrook)  

• Frequency Shift presents a two-stage music event at SAW that features an international artist and rising DJs with Escapade Music Festival credentials in each space. (Downtown) 

• The Peter Hum Trio brings smooth, modern jazz sounds to the Robo Lounge.  

• Get on stage or support your brave friends at the Legion Branch 632 Karaoke Night. (Orléans) 

• Something special happens each Friday night in a government building parking lot. The Skate Board Club invites ‘Rad Moms, Dads, and their beans or anybody on the scene’ to skate with their boards. (Carlington)   

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: The Invite, Vivaldi Et Moi (Primavera), Detour: Cube  

• Mayfair Theatre: The Sheep Detectives, Maddie’s Secret, I Love Boosters 

Gigs

• Knitting. Fono Listening Lounge

• Peter Hum Trio. The Robo Lounge

• 80s Dance Party. House of TARG

• ALGRT, Harold Carrion, EP The Latino. Metcalfe Plaza

SATURDAY

• ✳️ 🆓 The Archives Block Party is a celebration of skateboard culture with live DJs, food, a beer garden, and more fun stuff like cash prizes. There’s also an afterparty if you don't want the good times to end. (Downtown) 

• ✳️ The Handmade and Homegrown Craft Fair in Richmond is a great opportunity to shop local and enjoy a BBQ in the village. 

• 🆓 Theatre Games with Chancz Perry is open to people 8 years of age and up at the NAC. (Downtown) 

• Road Trip: The more than 55 vendors are waiting to serve you at Metcalfe Farmers Market, rain or shine. 

• 🆓 The outdoor party at Metcalfe Plaza promises food, drink, and hip hop. (Centretown) 

• Whether you’re playing or you’re there for the tunes, you'll dig the vibe at the 44th Hope Volleyball Summerfest 

• 🆓 Ghanafest offers a day of Ghanaian food, music, and culture at Brewery Way Park 

• 🆓 Discover more than 70 writers of spicy fiction at the Pages & Pleasures Romance Book Fair. (Overbrook) 

• A Company of Fools brings William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Westboro Kiwanis Park. The show runs 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Donations gratefully accepted. 

• If it’s your first time at the West Coast Swing and Hustle Social Dance evening, you’ll get in for free. No experience or partner are necessary. (Heron Gate) 

• Let the Afro-Fusion sounds of OK Naledi come to you as you relax on the bank of the Rideau Canal. The band plays aboard a boat that will slowly make its way from the NAC  to Lansdowne Park, before making the return trip. (Various)  

• As the Music and Beyond Festival continues, the King’s Singers present a matinée program of Romantic vocal music from European composers such as Elgar, Vaughn Williams, Schubert, Debussy, and others. This evening, come and see why the New York Times calls Avi Avital a Superstar Mandolinist. (Centretown) 

• Today at Bluesfest, Hardy headlines, with BXTHAPLUG, Patrick Watson and other special guests.(LeBreton Flats)  

• 🆓 I say, gather your mates and make your way to the 19th annual All British Car Day at Clarke Fields Park (Nepean). 

Garage Sales

• Find geeky goodness at the Ottawa Geek Garage Sales - South East event. (Elwvale) 

• The Fundraiser Garage Sale in Nepean supports Rocky Road Rescue, and you’ll get to meet some pups on site. 

• It's a little vague on the Facebook ad but it seems a Garage Sale is planned for Vanier North. 

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: The Train to Nowhere, The Invite, Vivaldi Et Moi (Primavera), Marie Antoinette (20th Anniversary)

• Mayfair Theatre: Maddie’s Secret, The Sheep Detectives, The Furious, Saturday Night Sinema 

Gigs

• TARG Dance X-Tendamix 1990 - 2020. House of TARG

• Lindy Vopnfjõrd. Red Bird

• Punk Night. Rainbow Bistro

• James LeClaire. The Robo Lounge

• Ambush. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa

SUNDAY

• All races in the 18th Annual Hintonburg 5K and 1K Kids Run are sold out, so now all you have to do is decide where you're going to watch the athletes as they pound the pavement. (Hintonburg)  

• The 3rd annual CFUW Home & Garden Tour in Perth is a self-guided tour of local gardens and homes. 

• See pre-1940s motor vehicles up close at the  Cumberland Heritage Village Museum’s Vintage Vehicle Experience. 

• Get first look at the Ottawa Little Theatre’s production of Appearing This Evening … The special preview performance this afternoon will benefit St Joseph’s Supper Table, the community meal program that provides meals and support to people experiencing food insecurity in Ottawa. (Downtown Rideau) 

• 🆓 Get energized with Zumba on the Hill. (Downtown) 

• Root in Harmony creates a cappella experiences for people who wish to gather in song. (Downtown)  

• Music And Beyond Festival begins its Sunday programming with Mendelssohn Brother and Sister, a concert featuring the Cobalt Quartet of Montréal. Then, Music and Beyond Festival, 10,000 Hours Piano Rehearsal Studios, and Steinway Piano Gallery of Ottawa present a concert-showcase of five incredibly talented Ottawa pianists. In the evening, organist Jean-Willy Kunz brings his jazz, pop, and theatrical influences to a concert featuring works by Marcel Dupré, Philip Glass, Hans Zimmer, and others.

• At Bluesfest, the Lumineers headline with special guests Bbno$, Leif Vollebekk, and Hazlett. 

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: Steal this Story, Please! The Invite, Vivaldi Et Moi (Primavera) 

• Mayfair Theatre: Pinocchio, Mildred Pierce, The Sheep Detectives, I Love Boosters 

Gigs

• Rod’s Blues Jam (matinée). Atomic Rooster

• Legendary Sunday Afternoon Blues Jam. Rainbow Bistro

• The Sunday Night Revue. Irene’s Pub

MONDAY

• The Draggers and Pullers Dog Training Workshop by the Ottawa Humane Society will teach you how to control your leashed dog. 

• A Company of Fools brings William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Strathcona Park. The show runs 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Donations gratefully accepted. (Sandy Hill) 

• Partnered with Ottawa 200, Music and Beyond presents another in its Music of 1826 series of concerts. Bytown 200 -  A Musical Journey Through Ottawa’s History explores Ottawa's origins through archival images, music, and narration. Noon at Church of St. Barnabas (Centretown).  Next, the festival continues with multi-percussionist and drummer Lucy Landymore, who plays Hans Zimmer, Gustav Mahler, and her own compositions.  Finally, Denis Plante (bandoneon) and Stéphane Tétreault (cello) explore the world of the tango in Stradivatango!  

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema:  Vivaldi Et Moi (Primavera), The Invite, Detour: Cube 

• Mayfair Theatre: Maddie’s Secret, Mildred Pierce, I Love Boosters 

Gigs

• Karaoke Mondays. Atomic Rooster

JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING

• Choose between Enright Flank Steak Tacos or Corbin’s Pulled Chicken Tacos or enjoy Red Apron’s Pinto Bean Tostada at Red Apron's Taco Night on Thursday July 23. It's all happening on Red Apron's covered patio. Reservations are recommended:  info@redapron.ca

• Ron Sexsmith, Valdy, and Amanda Rheaume are just three of the acts booked to play the 35th Stewart Park Festival in Perth (July 17-19) 

DEALS OF THE DAY

Strawberry Blonde Bakery is discounting freezer meals by 15% every Friday until August 28. This deal is in-person shopping only at both the Westboro (111 Richmond Road) and Kanata (767 Silver Seven Rd locations.   Save $5 on Party Packs at Perth Brewing.

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BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

In NarCity Ottawa’s ongoing quest to quantify the essential Ottawaness of everything, Alessa Hickman says ‘You’re not a true Ottawa local unless you’ve been to at least 10 of these 15 iconic spots’. The spots being Parliament Hill, Byward Market, House of TARG, Ottawa’s Museums, Rideau Canal, Dow’s Lake, Elgin Street Diner, Calypso Waterpark or Mont Cascades, Beavertails, Hog’s Back Park, Mooney’s Bay, The Great Glebe Garage Sale, The Mayfair Theatre or the Bytowne Cinema, SuzyQ Doughnuts, and Gatineau Park.

If you have a suggestion for an additional iconic spot required to be a true Ottawa local, email us at hello@theottawan.com

RAPID RESPONSE QUALITY CONTROL

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THE END

THE OTTAWAN is written and edited every working weekday by Martha and Darren. Is there something that Ottawa should know about? Email to us at hello@theottawan.com. We read every single comment.